Riding toy



Dec. 21, 1965 I c, MOORE 3,224,723

RIDING TOY Filed May 15, 1964 INVENTOR. CLEMENT E. MOQEE ATTOENEY$ United States Patent Office 3,24,723 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 3,224,723 RHDING TOY Clement R. Moore, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Moulded Products, Inc, Maple Plain, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed May 15, 1964, Ser. No. 367,660 2 Claims. (Cl. 248370) This invention relates to improvements in riding toys of the type wherein a simulated horse or other mount for a rider is suspended by helical springs from anchorage posts of a stand constructed of bent tubular or other form of elongated metal stock.

An object of the invention is to provide a stand of the nature above-noted having side units in which the elongated stock in each such unit is configurated to incorporate therein a mounting step affording assistance to a rider in mounting from either side of the mount.

A further object is to incorporate feet in the configurated stock of each side unit fore and aft of the step for contact with a stand-supporting surface.

Another object is to supply a stand, as aforesaid, having end units joining the side units together and also providing widespread stabilizing footings for the stand outwardly removed endwise of the stand beyond the footings afforded by the feet of the side units.

An additional object is to provide cross-tie members in the end units which contact therealong with a standsupporting surface and thus afford footing contact for the stand in enlargement of the footing contact afforded by the feet of the side units.

A still further object of the invention is to provide end units so joined to the side units of the stand that forces tending to flex an anchorage post of either side unit will be transmitted and distributed in part to the other side unit.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel construction and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/ or described.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a riding toy embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that the stand A includes a pair of similar side units a and a pair of similar end units b. Each of said side and end units consists of a length of bent elongated metal stock which preferably, as shown, is cylindrical tubular stock.

The stock of each side unit a is configurated to define upright end portions forming anchorage posts for a spring-suspended mount B to be more fully hereinafter described. Further defined in the bent stock of each side unit a, intermediately of the posts 10, is a rail portion forming a mounting step 11 to assist a rider in mounting from either side of the mount B. Additionally defined in each side unit a are oppositely inclined runs of stock bent downwardly from the mounting step 11 to form legs 12 for said step 11. Between each such leg 12 and its adjacent anchorage post 10, the configurated stock defines a reverse bend forming a foot 13 for contact with a standsupporting surface.

The mount B simulates a horse and has a rod 14 extending transversely through and beyond the fore part of its body 15. Front attaching eyes 16, only one shown, are secured to said rod 14, one at either end thereof, and rear attaching eyes 17, only one shown, are secured to the aft part of the mounts body 15, one at either side of the same. Said mount B is resiliently suspended intermediately of the stand A between its side units a, by a front pair and a rear pair of helical springs 18, each spring being formed with terminal hooks 19. One end of each spring 18 is hooked into one of the four attaching eyes 16, 17 on the mount B, the other end of each spring 18 being hooked into a tie-ring 20 attached to the corresponding anchorage post 10 of the corresponding side unit a of the stand A. Stirrups 21 provided for the rider of the mount B are suspended from the rod 14 by straps 22. The rider of the mount B can cause it to pitch and roll in simulation of the action of a horse.

The configurated stock of each end unit a defines a straight cross-tie member 23, and lugs 24 and bends 25 between said cross-tie member 23 and end lugs 24. The bends 25 in the end units b of the stand A are relatively wide bends readily made and of relatively great strength.

In the lugs 24 of the end units b, the tubular stock is collapsed and the doubled thickness of the material is laterally arcuated to conform with the contour of the cylindrical stock in the side units a. Each lug 24 is fitted to its corresponding anchorage post 10 of a side unit a at the lower portion of such post, each lug 24 being fastened to its respective post 10 by means of a bolt 26 extending through the lug 24 and through the post 10.

Thus fitted and bolted to a post 10, each laterally arcuated end lug 24 supplies a rigid connection between its respective cross-tie member 23 of an end unit b and its respective anchorage post 10 of a side unit a of the stand A.

The cross-tie member 23 of each end unit b is disposed so that it has line contact with a stand-supporting surface, as at 27, with which the feet 13 of the side units a have point contact. The line contact of each cross-tie member 23 with the stand-supporting surface occurs at a locality outwardly removed endwise of the side units a beyond the points of contact of the corresponding feet 13 of said side units. Overly violent pitching of the mount B tends to cause endwise rocking of the stand A which, in turn, tends to cause the feet 13 of the stand to thump noisely against and mar the stand-supporting surface. Since the cross-tie members 23 of the end units b have footings outwardly removed endwise of the stand A beyond the footings afforded by the feet 13 of the side units a, the tendency of the stand A to rock endwise in response to pitching movements of the mount B is minimized and since said cross-tie members 23 have relatively long line contact with the stand-supporting surface, as compared with the point contact afforded by the feet 13 of the side units a, the tendency of the rocking stand A to mar the stand-supporting surface is minimized.

Any flexing of a given anchorage post 1i) of a given side unit a of the stand A, under force caused by pitching movement of the mount B, is minimized, not only by reason of the transmission and distribution of such force from such given post to the remaining foot and step portions of such given side unit a, but also by the further transmission and distribution of a part of that force, through the corresponding end unit b, to the post, foot and step portions of the other side unit a.

This distribution of forces from the individual anchorage posts 16 along the stock of both side units a of the stand A admit of the desirable employment of relatively inexpensive and conveniently bendable lightweight stock in the construction of said stand.

Changes in the specific form of the invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In a riding toy, a stand for supporting a spring-sus pended mount, said stand comprising a pair of side units and a pair of end units, each side unit of the stand consisting of a length of elongated metal stock configurated to define upright end portions forming anchorage posts for suspension springs of the mount, an intermediate rail portion forming a mounting step for the rider, runs of stock bent downwardly from said step and forming legs therefor, and a relatively wide reverse bend in the stock between each leg of the step and its corresponding anchorage post, each such bend forming a foot for the side unit of the stand for contact with a stand-supporting surface, each of the said end units of the stand consisting of elongated metal stock configurated to define a cross-tie memher and end lugs turned therefrom, and means rigidly connecting the lugs of the end units of the stand to their corresponding anchorage posts of the side units, the forces tending to fiex an anchorage post of either side unit being transmitted and distributed in part by the corresponding end unit to the other side unit of the stand, said cross-tie member of each end unit of the stand contacting a standsupporting surface at a locality removed outwardly endwise, relative to the stands side units, beyond the localities of contact of the corresponding feet of the side units thereby to obtain relatively widespread footings for the stand lengthwise thereof.

2. In a riding toy, a stand for supporting a spring-suspended mount, said stand comprising a pair of side units and a pair of end units, each side unit of the stand consisting of a length of elongated metal stock configurated to define upright end portions forming anchorage posts for suspension springs of the mount, an intermediate rail portion forming a mounting step for the rider, runs of stock bent downwardly from said step and forming legs therefor, and a relatively wide reverse bend in the stock between each leg of the step and its corresponding anchorage post, each such bend forming a foot for the side unit of the stand for contact with a stand-supporting surface, each of the said end units of the stand consisting of elongated metal stock configurated to define a cross-tie member and end lugs turned therefrom, and means rigidly connecting the lugs of the end units of the stand to their corresponding anchorage posts of the side units, the forces tending to flex an anchorage post of either side unit being transmitted and distributed in part by the corresponding end unit to the other side unit of the stand, said cross-tie member of each end unit of the stand contacting along its length with a stand-supporting surface, thereby to provide extended footing contact for the stand in addition to the footing contact had between the feet of the stands side units and said stand-supporting surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,891,792 6/1959 Thoeming 272-52 2,937,691 5/1960 Horgan 272-52 3,135,510 6/1964 Grudoski 27252 FOREIGN PATENTS 594,835 3/1960 Canada. 881,730 11/1961 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A RIDING TOY, A STAND FOR SUPPORTING A SPRING-SUSPENDED MOUNT, SAID STAND COMPRISING A PAIR OF SIDE UNITS AND A PAIR OF END UNITS, EACH SIDE UNIT OF THE STAND CONSISTING OF A LENGTH OF ELONGATED METAL STOCK CONFIGURATED TO DEFINE UPRIGHT END PORTIONS FORMING ANCHORAGE POSTS FOR SUSPENSION SPRINGS OF THE MOUNT, AN INTERMEDIATE RAIL PORTION FORMING A MOUNTING STEP FOR THE RIDER, RUNS OF STOCK BENT DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID STEP AND FORMING LEGS THEREFOR, AND A RELATIVELY WIDE REVERSE BEND IN THE STOCK BETWEEN EACH LEG OF THE STEP AND ITS CORRESPONDING ANCHORAGE POST, EACH SUCH BEND FORMING A FOOT FOR THE SIDE UNIT OF THE STAND FOR CONTACT WITH A STAND-SUPPORTING SURFACE, EACH OF THE SAID END UNIT OF THE STAND CONSISTING OF ELONGATED METAL STOCK CONFIGURED TO DEFINE A CROSS-TIE MEMBER AND END LUGS TURNED THEREFROM, AND MEANS RIGIDLY CONNECTING THE LUGS OF THE END UNITS OF THE STAND TO THEIR CORRESPONDING ANCHORAGE POSTS OF THE SIDE UNITS, THE FORCES TENDING TO FLEX AN ANCHORAGE POST OF EITHER SIDE UNIT BEING TRANSMITTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN PART BY THE CORRESPONDING 